A fully-staged folk opera that brings York's monumental yet overlooked story to opera houses and major performing arts centers nationwide. Designed for venues with 500-3000 seats, this ambitious production explores the life of the enslaved man whose intelligence, diplomacy, and courage were essential to the success of the Lewis & Clark Corps of Discovery expedition, yet whose contributions have been largely erased from American history.
Featuring a cast of 18 professional singers, the production delivers breathtaking vocal performances that span operatic arias, jazz improvisation, soulful R&B, and contemporary hip hop. This expansive ensemble enables complex choral arrangements, intricate harmonies, and powerful solo moments that illuminate York's interior life and the broader human stories of the expedition. The genre-blending score challenges traditional opera conventions while honoring the form's emotional depth and theatrical power.
A 10-piece live orchestra creates a rich, layered soundscape, banjo and fiddle evoke the American frontier, guitar and keys provide harmonic foundation, and West African drums pulse with ancestral rhythms that connect York's heritage to the African diaspora experience. The full orchestration supports sophisticated staging, lighting, and scenic design, delivering a complete theatrical experience that moves audiences while sparking essential conversations about whose stories get told, whose voices get heard, and how we reckon with the complex truths of American history.